NJDOT invites public to submit comments on Rockfall Project

Bill Cameron

Thursday

Jun 20, 2019 at 5:54 PMJun 20, 2019 at 5:54 PM

Editor’s note: This story is the second in a two-part series covering the latest updates on the Interstate 80 Rockfall Mitigation Project. Catch up on the previous coverage in the Pocono Record or online at poconorecord.com.

BLAIRSTOWN — Many questions remain with regard to a planned construction project that would forever alter one of the nation’s scenic natural resources: the Delaware Water Gap. The Interstate 80 Rockfall Mitigation Project, an initiative by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to help prevent dangerous rockfall along I-80 between mile markers 1.04 and 1.45, has become a hot-button issue for regional stakeholders.

State, local and federal officials from New Jersey and Pennsylvania along with members of the public met Tuesday afternoon for two simultaneous events addressing the project, both of which were held at the North Warren Regional High School. Although many attendees traveled back and forth between sessions, the nature of their questions showed a clear informational divide between many of the parties involved.

Here is some of what we know so far:

Rockslide history

Rockslides have occurred within the proposed project area, and some of those events resulted in documented crashes on the interstate. That much is confirmed by a pair of crash investigation reports included in a 2011 concept development report for the project as well as at least one other incident confirmed by publicly available crash data.

Exactly how many crashes total in that area are a result of rockfall has been disputed, however. Reports have varied, and the New Jersey state government has so far denied requests for specific investigation reports for the 11 additional crashes it has referenced.

Regardless of whether or not those crashes were a direct result of rockslides, past events aren’t the only criteria for determining rockfall risks. Instead, geology, geometry and physics play a larger role in those determinations.

In fact, the Federal Highway Administration’s rating system considers rockfall potential a more relevant factor than historical rockfall data. That FHA system — the same one used across the U.S. — was used to determine an average risk rating of 530 out of a maximum 1,000 points for the project area, making it the highest-risk location in New Jersey. The section between mile markers 1.25 and 1.35 had the highest rating at 662 points.

Final design

Questions abounded Tuesday as stakeholders shared their woes with the project. One of those concerns was whether or not the specifics of the design have been finalized — which they have not.

“The NJDOT is considering all of the alternatives that were presented at the open house on Tuesday,” department spokesman Steve Schapiro confirmed in a Wednesday email.

NJDOT spokeswoman Mairin Bellack also reaffirmed that point Tuesday afternoon.

“It will be a collaborative effort to make those determinations,” Bellack said. “We’ll be taking all of the public comments and meeting with local officials. We will also hold public information sessions for every phase of the construction process.”

Because all alternative designs are still on the table, the final cost of the project has yet to be determined. The NJDOT is considering a variety of mitigation options including retaining walls, industrial fences, rockfall berms, stepped-slopes and protective overhead structures.

The combination of control methods chosen will have a significant on the cost, scope and final appearance of the project. It will also affect construction considerations, including traffic impacts.

“The project does not require a full closure of I-80,” Schapiro wrote in his email. “However, if the final design that is chosen from the various alternatives being considered includes blasting, there would be a temporary stoppage of traffic on I-80 for approximately 15 minutes for each blast. This procedure has been used for many years on various projects because it causes the least amount of disruption to traffic.”

Timeline

The NJDOT has extended its estimated construction time considerably since the project’s 2011 inception. Construction was originally slated to start in 2020 and last about two years. More recent NJDOT materials show an expected 2022 starting date, with construction expected to span about four years.

No builder has been chosen for the project, as this construction effort — like any large-scale state project — will first go to a public bidding process before a contractor is hired. That step is still a ways off with the final design still to be determined.

Right now, the NJDOT is amidst an environmental assessment, which will evaluate the potential concerns for visual impacts, threatened and endangered species, and open space and parkland. It will also consider the effects on federally recognized American Indian tribes. The results of that assessment will be made publicly available at a later date.

“As part of the environmental assessment process, the environmental documents will made available for public review and the department will take comments during the review period and at a public hearing,” Schapiro wrote. “The schedule is to have the EA ready to circulate in the summer of 2020 and the public hearing in the fall or winter 2020.”

What can be done

Many present at Tuesday’s presentations expressed a desire to make their voices heard by the powers that be. Fortunately, the NJDOT is currently accepting public input on the project.

Attendees of Tuesday’s NJDOT open house event had the opportunity to question department representatives about specific aspects of the project. They also had an opportunity to submit written comments, an opportunity that still extends to anyone interested in doing so.

Written comments should be addressed to the NJDOT Office of Community Relations at 1035 Parkway Avenue, P.O. Box 600, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0600. Comments can also be submitted to the NJDOT via email by addressing messages to I80rockfall@dot.nj.gov.

The NJDOT has asked anyone interested in submitting comments at this stage of the process to please do so by no later than August 1.

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